Categories: Museums & Galleries

Magic House Saint Louis Childrens Museum

Author: Alecia Warren

Magic House Exhibits

Learning and playtime combine at interactive exhibits like the Math Path, where kids can make discoveries on their own by designing their own cars or playing number games on a giant calculator. The most popular station is the Children's Village. Kids run the show in this miniature town, where they can cash a check at the bank, shop at the market, or build a new fire station at the construction site. There's even a television studio fully equipped with cameras and lights to broadcast an important news update. Parents are encouraged to participate in their children's learning experiences. They can discover something new on their own, too, like the Fitness Center where they can test their flexibility, strength, and endurance.

The Magic House-St. Louis Children's Museum is located in the charming town of Kirkwood, in the midst of a quiet neighborhood of houses and churches. The museum itself is a prim-looking Victorian mansion, where a person would expect to spend long hours in hushed, polished halls where signs sternly forewarn, "don't touch." Indoors, however, is just the opposite, with hours of exhibits to share and learn from. It only takes a few moments inside to discover why it was rated the #1 family attraction nationwide by Zagat Survey's U.S. Family Travel Guide.

Tickets are $7, with children younger than one-year-old free. Parking is free. ( 516 South Kirkwood Road, 314-822-8900).

For Baby and Me
Parents can learn important child development information and put their lessons to good use at the baby gym and peek-a-boo house.

A Little Bit of Magic
Preschool children need a bit of fun, too. They'll have plenty to do between digging in the sandbox and performing their own puppet show.

Visiting Artist Series
Always offering new adventures, the Magic House presents a rare chance to absorb the techniques of professional artists. One weekend of each month, an artist will visit the museum and work alongside children and their families, exploring the creative process and channeling it through basic, household materials. Workshops are free with museum
admission.

Other Favorites
The Electrostatic Generator, an electrically-charged ball that will make your hair stand on end when you touch it, is a favorite with older children (and their parents). First Impressions is a giant pin screen where children can make life-size impressions of themselves, and the Lewis and Clark Adventure will help you relive the expedition that left St. Louis to find a trail to the Pacific Ocean.


Shopping near The Magic House

Expect more than novelty T-shirt souvenirs in this town. Although the Magic House doesn't have a souvenir shop, downtown Kirkwood offers a quaint shopping district. The shops there are ideal for finding heartfelt, homemade handicrafts, and providing truly memorable keepsakes for your home or garden that reflect your individual style.

Small Indulgences
You won't feel guilty indulging in any eye-candy you find here. The shop is brimming with a feast of hand-made ornaments, decorations, and jewelry. Whether you walk away with a painting from a local artist or a beaded picture frame, every object offers a unique design and creative shape that will add a vibrant addition to your home or wardrobe.
( 121 North Kirkwood Road, 314-821-7414).

The Bug Store
Whether you are a dedicated gardener or simply want to add a little sparkle to your lawn, this store can accommodate your landscaping needs. The walls are filled with everything a yard-owner could ask for, from hand-painted lawn chairs to gazing balls to, of course, bugs! Well, lady bugs and praying mantises for your plants, that is.
( 113 W Argonne Dr., 314-966-2287).

The Gift Garden
If you're searching for the ultimate Valentine's Day gift or simply want to show someone you care, this little shop is in no way lacking heart-shaped merchandise. If you're struggling to satisfy that one person who has everything, look here for an adorable memento or token of love. ( 105 E Argonne Dr., 314-822-8884).

Blush: Contemporary Boutique For Women
Sometimes the best souvenir from a vacation is a new favorite outfit. This store offers a little something for any fashion style, from dresses to skirts to hoodies to tube tops. Shoes, jewelry, and accessories complete any ensemble. The colors are bold and the choices endless. What more could a lady ask for? (151 West Jefferson, 314-965-4411, www.shopblushboutique.com ).


Dining Near The Magic House

All that learning works up a healthy appetite. For those who want to satisfy their hunger, downtown Kirkwood is a minute's drive down the road and filled with delicious eateries. The museum provides receipts in case you opt to leave and return later the same day. Although the Magic House doesn't have a restaurant in the building, stop for a quick treat at one of the ice cream vending machines located around the museum. Outside, a cart sells bag lunches including a sandwich, juice box, bag of fruit snacks, and a toy. There are also tables in the picnic area outside.

• Kirkwood Dining     
• The Kirkwood Farmer's Market
• Johnny Rocket's     
• Citizen Kane's Steak House
• Kaldi's     
• Amici's Italian Restaurant
• Dewey's Pizza    

Kirkwood Dining

All that learning works up a healthy appetite. Although the Magic House doesn't have a restaurant in the building, stop for a quick treat at one of the ice cream vending machines located around the museum. Outside, a cart also sells bag lunches including a sandwich, juice box, bag of fruit snacks and toy. There are also tables in the pick nick area outside.

For those who want to satisfy their hunger, Downtown Kirkwood is a minute's drive down the road and filled with delicious eateries. The museum provides receipts to leave and come back.

Johnny Rocket's

Kids will love the atmosphere of the '50s diner, where they can slip a nickel into the tabletop jukebox and fill out a coloring book. There's no better end to a day of fun than a frosty milkshake and a steaming bowl of onion rings.
140 South Kirkwood Road
(314)-966-3277
Austin@rocknrollrestaurants.com
www.johnnyrockets.com

Kaldi's

Take a load off - munch on a cranberry white chocolate cookie as you lie back in a black leather recliner, or nurse a Mayan Mocha in the dim lighting of a private booth. No matter how you spend your time at this decadent lounge, the atmosphere is quiet and ideal for a romantic or studious hideaway. Beyond specialty coffees and a full bakery, the menus is extensive, including sandwiches, paninis, wraps, pizzas, salads, an oatmeal bar and crepes. Fruit and soy smoothies also make for a healthy summer treat.
120 South Kirkwood Road
314-821-0087

Dewey's Pizza

Another family favorite, the Cincinnati-based chain offers pizza with a light thin crust and a heap of toppings in a trendy atmosphere. Although the menu includes original salads and massive calzones, most popular are - of course - the pizzas. Choose between your favorite toppings or from Dewey's menu of specialty pizzas. The restaurant also brings in coffee and tea from Kaldi's, so you can have a taste of chain and local.
124 North Kirkwood Road
314-821-7474

The Kirkwood Farmer's Market

A perfect opportunity to have a healthy snack or just experience a taste of town history. Located one block east of the historic Kirkwood Junction, the farmer's market has been a thriving consortium of local plant and produce vendors since 1978. Open every day, the street-long market is filled with perfume, a familiar blend of pollen from discount pansies lining the sidewalk with salt and butter from piping hot kettle corn.

Endless rows of hand-picked berries and melons line the wooden stands, blending into a soft spectrum of colors. Farmhands chirp friendly greetings as customers weigh each choice with selective care. Picking up a peach and inhaling its sugary scent completes the old-world fantasy, stimulating warm nostalgia for a simpler time when meals were grown instead of ordered. Tiny bistros are snugly tucked along the sides of the covered marketplace, where one can get hot gumbo, smoothies, burgers or Asian cuisine.  East Argonne at Taylor
(314)-822-0084
Meghan@kirkwoodjunction.com
www.kirkwoodjunction.com

Citizen Kane's Steak House

Pardon the cliché, but this steakhouse is a rosebud of fine dining, widely known for serving the most filling, flavorful, mouth-watering steaks in the midwest. Located in a historic Kirkwood house that was formerly an Irish pub, the restaurant boasts self-cut beef and homemade sauces. The rib eye will leave you speechless, and attentive servers will welcome you like family, keeping your glasses full and your order moving. Reservations are recommended, as tables are usually full, and it may be best to drop the kids off at the hotel first.
133 West Clinton Place
(314)-965-9005

Amici's Italian Restaurant

Owned by two chefs with 65 years of restaurant experience between them, its no wonder this restaurant has gained such popularity since it opened in 2004. A spacious and casual environment will make you feel right at home as you're served hearty portions of carefully seasoned Italian dishes. Best of all, this menu will fill your stomach without emptying your wallet.
210 North Kirkwood Road
(314)-821-2222

Check out places of interest near Magic House Saint Louis Childrens Museum:

Amici's Italian Restaurant
210 N. Kirkwood Rd., Kirkwood, MO 63122

Owned by two chefs with 65 years of restaurant experience between them, its no wonder this restaurant has gained such popularity since it opened in 2004. A spacious and casual environment will make you feel right at home as you're served hearty portions of carefully seasoned Italian dishes. Best of all, this menu will fill your stomach without emptying your wallet.>

Citizen Kane's Steak House
133 West Clinton Place , St. Louis, MO

Pardon the cliché, but this steakhouse is a rosebud of fine dining, widely known for serving the most filling, flavorful, mouth-watering steaks in the midwest. Located in a historic Kirkwood house that was formerly an Irish pub, the restaurant boasts self-cut beef and homemade sauces. The rib eye will leave you speechless, and attentive servers will welcome you like family, keeping your glasses full and your order moving. Reservations are recommended, as tables are usually full, and it may be best to drop the kids off at the hotel first.

Dewey's Pizza
124 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122

Dewey's Pizza focuses almost solely on its namesake food, offering specialty pizzas with exotic ingredients you won't get from the standard delivery boys.

Johnny Rocket's
140 South Kirkwood Road , Kirkwood, MO 63122

Kids will love the atmosphere of the '50s diner, where they can slip a nickel into the tabletop jukebox and fill out a coloring book. There's no better end to a day of fun than a frosty milkshake and a steaming bowl of onion rings.

Kaldi's Coffeehouse
120 South Kirkwood Road , Kirkwood, MO 63122

Take a load off - munch on a cranberry white chocolate cookie as you lie back in a black leather recliner, or nurse a Mayan Mocha in the dim lighting of a private booth. No matter how you spend your time at this decadent lounge, the atmosphere is quiet and ideal for a romantic or studious hideaway. Beyond specialty coffees and a full bakery, the menus is extensive, including sandwiches, paninis, wraps, pizzas, salads, an oatmeal bar and crepes. Fruit and soy smoothies also make for a healthy summer treat.

Kirkwood Dining
, Kirkwood, MO

All that learning works up a healthy appetite. Although the Magic House doesn't have a restaurant in the building, stop for a quick treat at one of the ice cream vending machines located around the museum. Outside, a cart also sells bag lunches including a sandwich, juice box, bag of fruit snacks and toy. There are also tables in the pick nick area outside.

For those who want to satisfy their hunger, Downtown Kirkwood is a minute's drive down the road and filled with delicious eateries. The museum provides receipts to leave and come back.

The Kirkwood Farmer's Market
, , MO

 A perfect opportunity to have a healthy snack or just experience a taste of town history. Located one block east of the historic Kirkwood Junction, the farmer's market has been a thriving consortium of local plant and produce vendors since 1978. Open every day, the street-long market is filled with perfume, a familiar blend of pollen from discount pansies lining the sidewalk with salt and butter from piping hot kettle corn.

Endless rows of hand-picked berries and melons line the wooden stands, blending into a soft spectrum of colors. Farmhands chirp friendly greetings as customers weigh each choice with selective care. Picking up a peach and inhaling its sugary scent completes the old-world fantasy, stimulating warm nostalgia for a simpler time when meals were grown instead of ordered. Tiny bistros are snugly tucked along the sides of the covered marketplace, where one can get hot gumbo, smoothies, burgers or Asian cuisine.

Blush: Contemporary Boutique For Women
151 West Jefferson Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122

Sometimes the best souvenir from a vacation is a new favorite outfit. This store offers a little something for any fashion style, from dresses to skirts to hoodies to tube tops. Shoes, jewelry, and accessories complete any ensemble. The colors are bold and the choices endless. What more could a lady ask for?

Small Indulgences
121 North Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63117

You won't feel guilty indulging in any eye-candy you find here. The shop is brimming with a feast of hand-made ornaments, decorations, and jewelry. Whether you walk away with a painting from a local artist or a beaded picture frame, every object offers a unique design and creative shape that will add a vibrant addition to your home or wardrobe.

The Bug Store
113 W Argonne Dr, St. Louis, MO 63122

Whether you are a dedicated gardener or simply want to add a little sparkle to your lawn, this store can accommodate your landscaping needs. The walls are filled with everything a yard-owner could ask for, from hand-painted lawn chairs to gazing balls to, of course, bugs! Well, lady bugs and praying mantises for your plants, that is.

The Gift Garden
105 E Argonne Dr, St. Louis, MO 63122

If you're searching for the ultimate Valentine's Day gift or simply want to show someone you care, this little shop is in no way lacking heart-shaped merchandise. If you're struggling to satisfy that one person who has everything, look here for an adorable memento or token of love.

Magic House Saint Louis Childrens Museum
516 South Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122

In its 25 years, the Magic House-St. Louis Children's Museum has opened children's eyes to the world through interactive exhibits, theater performances, and old-fashioned playtime. A not-for-profit organization, the Magic House has become a first choice for school trips, birthday parties or just weekend family fun, offering a stimulating environment where youngsters exercise their minds with smiles on their faces.